Handhold



Sept. 13, 1938. H. G. LEWIS 2,130,283

HANDHOLD Filed May 12, 1958 Patented Sept. 13, 1938 UNITED STATES 2,130,283 HANDHOLD Harry G. Lewis, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Electric Service Supplies Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 12, 1938, Serial No. 207,471 Claims. (Cl. 105354) This invention relates to an improved construction of a hand hold adapted for use as an overhead support for standing passengers in vehicles, such as automotive buses, railway cars and the like.

Among the principal objects of the present invention is to provide an overhead support hand hold of such construction that it is not only clean and pleasing in appearance but also reduces maintenance cost thereof at the same time that it improves the interior appearance asa whole of the vehicle equipped therewith.

A further and important advantage of the present invention is to provide a hand hold wherein the grip is formed of metal and is supported from the conventional overhead bar or rod by means of a leather-lined metal strap. Heretofore and prior to this invention, hand holds have been provided in which the metal grip thereof has been suspended from its overhead support by means of a leather strap. In such constructions of hand hold, the unprotected leather strap was unable to withstand twisting of the grip out of its normal plane and such constant twisting resulted in premature wear and stretching of the leather strap with the result that the hand hold soon became unsafe for use as an overhead support for standing passengers. Moreover, this premature stretching and wear of the leather resulted in such loose fit of the hand hold about its supporting rod that the hand hold was free to swing about the rod and become a source of objectionable noise and rattle as well as of damage to the finished surface of adjacent parts of the vehicle against which the hand hold was free to swing due tosway of the vehicle in motion.

The present construction of hand hold eliminates all of the foregoing objectionable features of the prior existing hand holds by the provision of a supporting loop for the grip made in the form of a metal strap lined with leather, the arrangement being such that the metal strap not only prevents twisting of the grip out of its normal plane but also insures against premature breaking or tearing of the leather, while the leather lining serves as a friction cushion or brake to eliminate free swinging of the hand ,hold about the supporting bar therefor, thereby eliminating mechanical rattle and insuring a more or less stationary position for the hand hold whereby it may be reached for and grasped by the passenger with greater facility and certainty.

Other objects and advantages thereof resulting from the details of construction will be apparent more fullyhereinafter, it being observed that the invention consists substantially in the combination, construction, location and relative arrangement of parts, all as will appear more fully hereinafter, as shown in the accompanying drawing and as finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the said accompanying drawing:-

Figure l is a side elevational view of a hand hold constructed in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an edge elevational view thereof;

and

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, it will be seen that the hand hold, designated generally by the reference numeral l0, comprises a grip ll formed of tubular metal stock bent into the looped shape shown and having flattened extremities l2-l2. The hand hold is adapted to be suspended from the conventional overhead supporting rod or bar l3 which usually extends longitudinally of the vehicle.

For suspending the hand hold ill from the bar l3, the grip l I is provided with a metal supporting strap [4 which is lined with leather l5, the metal strap l4 and its leather lining l5 being bent into the form of a loop to provide a substantially circular section 5 which encompasses the bar l3 and a pair of parallel sections l'l--ll which are projected between the flattened extensions I2l2 of the grip H, the said extensions I2l2 of the grip and extensions Il-ll of the supporting leather lined suspension strap being clamped together in the flatwise relation shown most clearly in Figures 1 and 2 by means of suitable screw bolts l8, the shanks of which are projected through suitable registering apertures |9--l9 provided in said overlapping extensions.

It will be apparent that in the construction of hand hold as illustrated and described, the metal suspension strap [4 serves to constantly maintain the grip II in its normal plane, that is, in a vertical plane extending normally to the axis of the overhead supporting bar or rod I3. The metal suspension strap 54 is preferably'of a width substantially equal to that of the flattened extensions l2l2 of the hand hold grip H and moreover is of such gauge and strength as to adequately withstand twisting of the grip ll relatively to and out of the-vertical plane of its suspension strap Hi. The leather-lined suspension strap 14 is in practice so looped that the internal diameter of the circular portion thereof is of such order that the leather lining binds tightly about the surface of the supporting bar I3 in consequence of which the leather lining I 5 serves as a frictional cushion or brake which not only prevents free swinging of the hand hold as a unit about the rod l3 but also maintains it in a stationary position where it may be reached for and grasped with certainty by any passenger who may desire to use the hand hold as a support.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

1. In a hand hold of the character described, in combination, a grip formed of tubular metal stock bent into looped form and provided with flattened parallel extremities, a metal strap having a central portion bent into circular form to embrace a supporting rod and parallel extensions adapted to be clamped between the aforesaid extensions of said grip, and a leather lining for said metal strap shaped in correspondence with and disposed interiorly of said metal strap.

2. In a hand hold of the character described, in combination, a grip formed of tubular metal stock bent into looped form and provided with flattened parallel extremities, a metal strap having a central portion bent into circular form to embrace a supporting rod and parallel extensions adapted to be clamped between the aforesaid extensions of said grip, a leather lining for said metal strap shaped in correspondence with and disposed interiorly of said metal strap, and removable securing elements projecting commonly through the overlapping extensions of said grip, metal strap and leather lining for clamping the same rigidly together.

3. In a hand hold of the character described, in combination, a grip formed of tubular metal stock bent into looped form and provided with flattened parallel extremities, a metal strap having a central portion bent into circular form to embrace a supporting rod and parallel extensions adapted to be clamped between the aforesaid extensions of said grip, a leather lining for said metal strap shaped in correspondence with and disposed interiorly of said metal strap, and removable securing elements projecting commonly through the overlapping extensions of said grip, metal strap and leather lining for clamping the same rigidly together, said metal strap and the leather lining therefor being coextensive in width with the Width of said grip extensions.

4. A hand hold of the character described comprising, in combination, a grip formed of tubular stock and a metal supporting strap therefor, said grip and strap being respectively bent and secured together to form in side elevation a substantially figure-8 configuration, said grip and said strap being respectively provided with parallel flattened extensions adapted to be secured together in overlapping relation, and a leather cushion or lining disposed interiorly of said strap with the free extremities thereof clamped between the aforesaid overlapping extensions of said grip and strap.

5. A hand hold of the character described comprising, in combination, a grip formed of tubular stock and a metal supporting strap therefor, said grip and strap being respectively bent and secured together to form in side elevation a substantially figure-8 configuration, said grip and said strap being respectively provided with parallel flattened extensions adapted to be secured together in overlapping relation, a leather cushion or lining disposed interiorly of said strap with the free'extremities thereof clamped between the aforesaid overlapping extensions of said grip and strap, and detachable screw bolts projecting commonly through said overlapping extensions of the grip and strap and the extremities of said leather lining to clamp the same rigidly together.

HARRY G. LEWIS. 

